LINUS AND ETTA COULD USE A WIN by Caroline Huntoon

 

Who knew when Linus and Etta collided in the hallway the first of 8th grade a friendship would be formed? Linus knew he was nervous about his first day at Dolittle Middle School. Etta knew a negative attitude was the best she could summon up as she was already counting down the days until the end of her middle school career.

For Linus everything was new - this school, this town, dealing with an aging grandmother, and living openly as a transgender boy. His parents were supportive, but it wasn't easy for them or his grandmother to call him by his new name and use the appropriate pronouns. He was pleasantly surprised that his new classmates seemed to be recognizing him as a boy with no problem. 

Etta was trying to adjust to life without her best friend. She and Marigold had had a falling out leaving Etta alone on the first day of school. She never would have thought crashing into the new kid would turn out to be lucky.

Linus and Etta begin to form a unique friendship that has Linus taking on challenges and Etta feeling she can actually be helpful to someone else. This odd pair are out to make changes in the way things are run at Dolittle.

Author Caroline Huntoon's LINUS AND ETTA COULD USE A WIN will have readers rooting for these two quirky characters. Filled with laugh out loud humor, middle school discomfort, and family issues, this middle grade novel is sure to be a hit.

AND THEN, BOOM! by Lisa Fipps

 

Joe is never quite sure what is going to happen in his life. He lives with his grandmum and his mother, however, he's never sure when his mother will take off. The last time she left she was gone for a year.

He and his grandmum lived in the Gingerbread House. They had a garden and almost everything they needed to get by, but eventually grandmum's cleaning job wasn't providing enough money to keep it all going. That's when Joe learned the true meaning of "and then, BOOM!" That's what he called it when suddenly the electric was cut off or the gas for the furnace. Finally, they were forced to leave the Gingerbread House.

After couch surfing and living in grandmum's car, they got lucky. They heard about a trailer in a trailer park that was available. It would need some work, but it was way better than living in the car.

Joe and his friends make the best of their situations, and all is working well until grandmum dies. Now Joe's mother returns but for how long.

AND THEN, BOOM! by Lisa Fipps shows readers what it is like living on the edge. Is there enough food in the house, heat, and clothes? If your parent has run off, how long before someone calls CPS? Joe's story mirrors much of the author's life. She hopes his story will help others like him as well as educate others. 

DEEP WATER by Jamie Sumner

 

Tully's memories are filled with swimming. For as long as she can remember, she has been in the water. Competitive swimming began when she was very young because having her mother coach the team meant she was included and expected to do well. It was in her blood.

Now Tully is trying to use swimming to get her mother's attention so hopefully she returns from wherever she ran off to. Depression has plagued her mother, but swimming and exercise seemed to help. When she stopped seeing her therapist and stopped taking her medication, Tully knew it was only a matter of time until everything collapsed.

Tully has committed to completing the "Godfather" swim across Lake Tahoe. She would be the youngest to accomplish the feat. This has to get her mother's attention. With her best friend Arch as her support team, Tully starts the swim. She is supposed to have an adult with her, but she knows her father would tell her no. She has prepped and researched for the swim and is sure she can make it.

When a storm threatens to put an end to the swim, Tully refuses to listen to Arch when he tells her it's time to quit. He alerts her father and the Coast Guard. Now Tully must decide if you should defy them all and keep swimming. This has become the most important thing in her life, and she simply can't fail.

DEEP WATER, a novel in verse by Jamie Sumner, focuses on love, determination, courage, and mental health. Sumner deftly captures the need to be seen and recognized, and the disappointment when it's clear it may not happen.

A MILLION QUIET REVOLUTIONS by Robin Gow

 

A MILLION QUIET REVOLUTIONS by Robin Gow is the story of two queer teenagers who depend on each other to navigate a world that doesn't understand them. 

They have been friends for as long as they can remember. They have shared sleepovers, holidays, and conversations about feeling different. Both were born female, but they begin to confide in each other that they identify as male. While studying in the Revolutionary War in history class, they begin to wonder if the females who disguised themselves as males to be able to fight in the war were actually transgender youth before there was a name for how they felt.

After choosing the names Oliver and Aaron, they begin to imagine themselves as Revolutionary soldiers. Oliver even begins to participate in reenactments in attempt to get closer to his father. Aaron's parents, on the other hand, don't accept him when he tries to explain he is transgender, and due to another issue with his older brother, his family moves to New York City.

Through letters and text messages the two try to stay in touch and continue the relationship that had been developing. The complications of long-distance friendship and adults who don't understand make life difficult for Oliver and Aaron. Their struggle is clearly defined in Gow's direct verse. Readers will see the courage, love, and dedication Oliver and Aaron display.

PUZZLED by Pan Cooke

 

PUZZLED is a graphic memoir about growing up with OCD. Author Pan Cooke presents his experiences beginning in childhood with feelings and impulses he often couldn't explain. 

He describes his feelings as puzzle pieces that never seemed to fit together. He shares how he worried about the anxious thoughts that constantly bombarded his brain. In attempts to control his feelings, he became trapped by exhausting rituals. No one understood what he was experiencing. 

Cooke's humorous yet honest description of living with OCD is sure to help others who share this difficult condition. 

NIKHIL OUT LOUD by Maulik Pancholy

Author Maulik Pancholy and his books have recently gone under fire. A school board in Pennsylvania voted 8-0 is uninvite him as a speaker at one of their schools. After students and community members protested, the school board reversed their decision 5-4 to reschedule the author visit. 

I was familiar with Pancholy since using his book THE BEST AT IT in my university Children's Literature class. It was one of the most popular books in the class according to my students who were all future teachers. Now that I've also read NIKHIL OUT LOUD, all I can say is Pancholy writes about exactly what the school board members were saying was unacceptable for their students. I don't know when topics like friendship, anti-bullying, acceptance, and empathy have become bad things to share with our children.

NIKHIL OUT LOUD is about thirteen-year-old Nikhil. He lives in LA where he is a voice actor in a popular cartoon starring an Indian character. He loves playing the part of Raj Reddy. When his mother announces they are moving to Ohio to live with his Indian grandparents, Nikhil is stunned. He hardly knows these people. How can he leave his best friend? What will happen to his career?

It doesn't take long for everyone in Nikhil's new school to recognize their new, famous classmate. He finds it is easy to make new friends and even discovers a potential love interest, Mateo. Questions in a school newspaper interview reveal that Nikhil is gay. This unleashes a protest like the school has never encountered.

NIKHIL OUT LOUD will open readers' eyes to racism, understanding differences, adjusting to new cultural ideas, and more. I highly recommend it for middle grade readers.

 

ALL THE FIGHTING PARTS by Hannah V. Sawyerr

 

Amina "Mina" Conteh has always been told she inherited her ability to speak up for herself from her mother. Sometimes speaking up has gotten her in trouble. Recently, cursing at an annoying fellow classmate ends up with a phone call home and discipline from her father. He decides Mina needs to spend some time volunteering for Pastor Johnson at their local church.

Mina begins her volunteer stint, but things don't turn out like she anticipated. When Pastor Johnson offers her a ride home, she accepts even though he mentions stopping by the church office to handle some paperwork. Instead of paperwork, he takes advantage of Mina leaving her unsure about whether she should report his behavior or keep quiet.

Later when Pastor Johnson is arrested for a sexual attack on another teenager, Mina decides to speak up. Now everyone is questioning whether she is being honest about the popular pastor's actions. She is reluctant to reveal her story to her current boyfriend and even her best friend. Will they believe her? Will the authorities who seem to want to hear her story take any action, or will her version of what happened continue to be suspect?

Author Hannah V. Sawyerr calls on personal experience in this powerful novel in verse. Readers will learn about how difficult and traumatic it can be to be a victim of a crime so many find hard to believe.